Profile of grassroots football coaches of Spanish professional clubs

Abstract

The aim of the study was to identify the profile and education of grassroots football coaches (working with 8-12-year olds) of Spanish professional clubs (first and second male division, and first female division), as well as the qualities and characteristics they should have. For this purpose, an ad hoc questionnaire of 57 questions was used, grouped into seven dimensions, and administered to 153 coaches. This research focuses on the socio-demographic variables as well as on dimensions of the coach’s qualities and coach’s education. The results showed that the profile of the coach corresponded to the following: male between 20 and 30 years of age, with experience in football initiation of 4-7 years, but with a 2-year experience in coaching boys and girls aged8-12 years, with the specific football qualification level II or Union of European Football Associations A. The coaches considered it very important to have pedagogical skills and to use coaching methods which focus on learning rather than on results in order to be a coach in these age categories. Moreover, the participants considered that the training received in the official coaching courses did not adequately qualify them to carry out the sporting and human education of boys and girls in the benjamin (under 10) and alevin (under 12) age categories. The coaches also felt that the contents of the coaching course should be adjusted to the requirements of these age groups. These considerations can help sports federations and training centres to establish strategies to improve the official training programmes for football coaches.

Soccer and Disability, Is It Possible? Analysis of the Learning and Coaching Context in Spain

“…From an education model based on a critical pedagogy, grassroots-soccer coaches learn to question everything that happens in their practice and adopt an attitude as learners of continuous improvement [ 19 ]. Coaches’ education should stimulate reflective and critical thinking that allows them to know themselves better and to seek coherence between their practice and their beliefs [ 1 , 5 ]. Likewise, to introduce among players a critical questioning of their practice, it is necessary to sensitize coaches to the search for solutions and the responsibility for their performance [ 2 , 6 ].…”

“…This situation develops a comprehensive model for learning individual and collective technical and tactical behavior in grassroots soccer [ 15 ]. This activity, of a cognitive nature, on the one hand, represents one of the keys to active learning as it helps to act in a more active and creative way in their daily practice and, on the other hand, allows the soccer players to feel comfortable [ 1 , 14 , 15 , 17 ]. “Collaborative” coaches can “name” the emotions, connecting and recognizing the existing relationship with the experience of the soccer players to give meaning and significance to the coaching process [ 10 ].…”

“…The sports coaching process of all youth soccer players has been the subject of discussion, especially in the context of grassroots-soccer, where the coach’s role emerges as one of the key factors in the coaching process [ 1 ]. The need to improve the profile and coaching of coaches for sports teaching has led to several studies and research to analyze the coaching process [ 2 , 3 , 4 ].…”

“…The type and quality of the values acquired will depend on the agents of socialization in the sporting environment in which they develop, with the coach having the greatest impact, playing a key role in the development and coaching of individuals and athletes [ 1 , 14 , 15 ].…”